applied conservation research

Research

Agriculture and habitat fragmentation

I lead a number of projects at our study landscapes in central New South Wales that contain remnant mallee woodlands amongst cropland. We are studying both short- and long-term population and behavioural responses to habitat fragmentation and degradation. These projects include:

Long-term response of reptiles, beetles and small mammals to habitat fragmentation (sampled in 1999 and 2016).

Spatial ecology of dragons in agricultural landscapes, Honours student Charlie Fist (funded by the Australian Academy of Sciences).

Spatial and community ecology

I work on reptile spatial and community ecology, particularly in fragmented landscapes. I study how animals respond to landscape degradation and restoration, and how management actions can be optimised to produce the greatest biodiversity outcomes. I’m driven to understand how we can better measure and integrate data on animal movements to inform theory and practice.

Invasive predators

Invasive mammalian predators, such as rats and cats, are arguably the most damaging group of alien taxa for global biodiversity, having contributed to a large number of extinctions. Understanding the ecology and impacts of these species and developing appropriate management strategies is a primary concern of conservation biologists, particularly on islands. My work on invasive predators ranges from local studies of control actions up to global analyses of impacts and contributions to policy development.

Fire ecology

With two-thirds of the Earth’s land area considered fire-prone, fire is one of the planet’s most widespread ecosystem modifiers. Trends for increased fire frequency, size and intensity in many parts of the world mean that understanding the effects of fire on plants and animals is essential for species conservation. I have ongoing fire ecology projects in both intact and urban landscapes in western and eastern Australia.